PORTUGAL Day, which is celebrated on June 10 every year, holds great significance for the people of Portugal and the Portuguese diaspora worldwide.
This national holiday commemorates the death of renowned Portuguese poet Luis de Camões on June 10, 1580. Known as Dia de Portugal, de Camões e das Comunidades Portuguesas, or the Day of Portugal, Camões, and the Portuguese Communities, it serves as a time to honour Portuguese culture, heritage, and unity.
India’s relationship with Portugal has had its fair share of ups and downs over the years. Following India’s independence in 1947, diplomatic ties were established in 1949. However, tensions arose in 1950 when Portugal’s dictator, Antonio Salazar, refused to relinquish the Portuguese enclaves.
This strained the relationship, and it further deteriorated until Operation Vijay, a military action undertaken by India, successfully liberated Goa on December 19, 1961. This marked the end of over four centuries of Portuguese rule in the region.
End of Salazar’s rule
Fortunately, diplomatic relations between India and Portugal were restored after the Portuguese Carnation Revolution in April 1974. This revolution brought an end to Salazar’s Estado Novo regime.
The final step towards reconciliation came with the signing of a treaty on December 31, 1974, recognising India’s sovereignty over Goa, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and related matters. The treaty officially came into force on June 3, 1975.
The historical ties between India and Portugal stretch back more than 500 years. In May 1498, the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama embarked on a groundbreaking expedition to Calicut (Kozhikode) in Kerala. This marked the first recorded instance of a direct sea route between Europe and India, revolutionising trade between the two regions.
Portugal’s access to the lucrative Indian spice market solidified its status as a dominant colonial trading power. Over time, the Portuguese established a trading centre in Kollam in Kerala in 1502 and expanded their influence by acquiring various enclaves along the western coast, including Diu, Daman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and Goa in 1510. Goa later became the capital of Portuguese activities in the Orient, spanning from Malacca in the east to Mozambique in the west.
Bilateral trade
Regarding trade, according to India’s Directorate-General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) data, in the fiscal year 2021- 22, the total bilateral trade between India and Portugal amounted to $1,356.34 million. Indian exports accounted for $1,191.80 million, while Portuguese exports stood at $164.54 million.
According to Portugal’s Institute of National Statistics (INE), trade between India and Portugal from January to September 2022 reached €1,057.84 million, reflecting a significant increase of 52.56% compared to the previous year.
During the same period, Indian imports amounted to €119.54 million, marking a year-on-year increase of 19.34%, while Indian exports reached €938.30 million, representing a substantial growth of 58.16%.
Major Indian exports to Portugal include textiles, apparel (including ready-made garments), agricultural products, metals, chemicals, plastic and rubber goods, footwear, machinery and appliances, leather and its articles, vehicles, and transport materials. On the other hand, major Portuguese exports to India consist of machinery and appliances, metals, minerals, plastic and rubber goods, chemicals, textiles and apparel, paper and pulp, wood and cork, as well as optical and precision instruments.
Indian diaspora
Portugal is home to a significant Indian-origin diaspora, with over 25,000 Indian nationals and approximately 9,500 OCI / PIO cardholders residing in the country. The Indian community in Portugal is primarily concentrated in the Lisbon metropolitan region, the Algarve region in the South, and Porto in the north.
